The Meeker herald., 1887-09-17

they suffered Tor years AT Inc hanus OF
the Indians, would rather have suffered
for years to come than have risked Il
war with the Indians. which would have
wiped out the accumulatiOns Of years OF
toll. As to the assertion, made by the
Gazette, that Sheriff Kendall and his
posse were u gang OF horse thieves,
there is no ground for such an unwar-
ranted charge. II is true that u gang
of horse thieves followed In the wake OF
bo,! the sheriff b force and the troops
and that they did not coniine their
operations t0 Ute ponies is a well attested
fact. The country was full! OF strangers
(who came from nobody knows wherel
during the late trouble, and that they
didn't come here for the country Is good
is fully realized by this time.
After reading, in the Gazette. some
Of the TRADES OF abuse aud caluinny
hcapcd on the citizens Of this section
and every body from the Governor down
who were In any way connected with
the recent trouble. the reader who was
not familiar with the affair would
naturally think that IL WAS the whites
who were making raid on the peace
ful and law abiding Indian to deprive
Inn OF his home. stock and lands. such
Is not the case. On the contrary Just
the opposite stat. of affairs existed prior
To the late trouble, And while Colorow
and his followers did not actually Mt
tempt 10 take possession Of the land. al
though they claimed II. they did not
loose their large herds Of ponies on the
meadows OF ranchmcn and run of the
horses and kill stock belonging To both
ranch and stockmrn.
In the eyes Of our highly moral tYl and
virtuous Colorado Springs con,emorary
II WAS nll right as long rs the Indian
WAS allowed la run n, large, icfylng the
law aud doing ns he pleased, but Was all
wrong and a great sin when Ill. settler
took steps To assert his rights 10 the
lands he has purchased from the Govern
ment and is paying taxes thereon.
The Gazette, In its eag.rncss To maze
war on the settlers aud champion the
cause Of the poor Indian oyctioJss
one very important fact, namely. that
this country WIS thrown open to settle
ment, several years ago. 10 white settlers
and not To utrs. For information on
this point We refer the Gazette To the
treaty Of June Is. isso. whereby the
utrs ceded their lands In Northwestern
f,.tne.s,t., u. fI,., t.ny.,u,n.nf and iha
same WAS thrown open To settlement.
In this treaty II was stipulated that ~
land was taken up by pre'cmptors the
money arising from such prescriptions
should lie turned over to the Indians
twho were to take up their residence or
the tin,ah rcs~rvationl for their use
<.--s s--.-~s- - 80 ----- - 90
posed Of for less than Sl.35 lrr acre. In
the iigh, Of these facts We would like Ia
know who has the hs,st right to this
magnificent piece of landY The settler
who las bought aud paid for his land.
Is improving aud making n home for
himself and family. or tho nonadir and
so, his money and should have been GU,
Of the country long ago. Ind the Govern
mcnt given its attention 10 the numcr-
Gus petitions sent Ia Washington during
the pas, few years praying for the re-
moyai Of these Indians.
Now. tn SUN up. Colorowis band OF
Utes had no moral. legal or any other
rights In the White River Valley. and
the people would have drove them out
long ago had II not been for the fear Of
creating an outbreak. We did not ,ry
% provoke quarrel will, them. as has
leen asserted. but. seeing that tic
Government would not remove them.
did try to make them aincbdaplc to tie
laws Of the State the same as white
men. believing nj the same time that as
anything resembling law and u com
pliance with its mandates was o'lious 10
them. they would pick up their traps
and head for the reservation. And for
thus enhcavoring TO enforce the civil
laws of the State aud assert our rights
to the land we own We ARE referred to
by that Christian and sanity prevarica-
tor. the Colorado Springs Gazette as
gang Of horse thieves. Well. we can
stand the false statements. calumnies
and jibs OF such papers as the Gazette
with much more cquanimity and for,i-
tude than We could Colorow. The former
will not hurt us In the eyes Of un-
prcjudiccd and right thinking people.
The latter was n constant menace 10 our
welfare and detriment 10 our advance
mcnt. People can now settle In this
valley with n feeling Of security from
Indian dcprcdat!ons that was entirely
wanting previous to the late "un-
plcasantness." The Indian Is gone for.
ever from the haunts that used to know
him well. II the Colorado Springs peo-
pie think Colorow aud his followers
didn't get sIaurc deal on White river
they Will find Colorow and his band on
the reservation in Utah. They can get
Colorow and his followers and colonize
them in FL Paso county. The old chief
would. no doubt. feel quite at home in
n community where the Eastern love
and vcneration for the Indian has taken
such deep root. The other New Eng
land virtues, which seem TO flourish
and grow ~ luxuricntly in the Gazette's
bailiwick, such as don't look at my
sins but allow me 10 point out your s and
show you how giieviously you have sim
ned!" hypocrisy and lying might have